Bloomberg: Why I Flew Into Tel Aviv

Former NYC mayor says flight ban was misguided

(Newser)
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After the FAA banned American carriers from flying into Israel, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg hopped on an Israeli airline jet to make the trip as quickly as he could. As he explains at Bloomberg View, Bloomberg felt the FAA's decision—which has since been reversed—was "well-intentioned but poorly thought-out." Not only was the ban unnecessary, it handed a public victory to Hamas and sent all the wrong signals about how to respond in such situations.

"In times of crisis, acting out of an abundance of caution can be prudent," writes Bloomberg. "But closing down access to major infrastructure networks in the face of terrorist threats can be self-defeating." The former mayor says he learned that lesson in New York City, where he made a point to ride the subway or head out to a high-profile dinner after a particular threat in the city. The FAA's move actually makes the "journey to a peace settlement all the more difficult" because of the boost it gives to Hamas, writes Bloomberg. Click for his full column.

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